Thursday, February 20, 2014

Working On A Case

Vengeance Is MineThe 20 Dollar Tip

Autographed By Sal Geloso

Tuesday night, I played at the Lilly Spot with the new Indiana Scout guitar.Its full, loud sound has pushed me to do a lot more full and loud types of songs.I just need to get a case for it. Soon a young guy was sitting on the stoop next to me and threw me a few dollars, and requested Neil Young songs.I played my "best" two, "Hey, Hey, My, My," and "Heart of Gold," but wished I could have played the first track off of the album "Harvest," which I love, but haven't learned yet...The Virtues Of The Lilly Spot He asked me if the Lilly spot was a good tip spot, and I described the nature of the spot: quiet, good acoustics; people able to hear subtleties (like the lyrics) ...people having just completed the very last stop after walking the length of Bourbon Street at Lafitt's Blacksmith Shop Tavern -the oldest continually running bar in America- and being on their way back to their hotel, knowing how much money they have left in their pockets, and people being, for the most part, drunk...

After extolling all these virtues; I went on to say that it was people just like him, frankly; the ones who would sit down and talk and want to hear my life story; who have been my "bread and butter" there.True to form, he threw me a 20 dollar bill, making up the bulk of the 31 dollars that I made the second night playing the Indiana Scout.

Last Outpost For Buskers (Lilly stoop behind carriage)

Trying To Make A Case For Myself The Scout was also given to me without a case.This cause me to immediately find paperclips to rivet the straps to the pegs, so that it won't detach and fall off me.This also makes for a lot more impromptu playing, as people are more prone to say "Let's hear something; I've got a few dollars," when the guitar is uncovered.This also makes for a lot more crazy-eyed crackhead looking guys staring at it hungrily. When you're carrying a case, they have no idea what is inside; it could be laundry. When the guitar is in plain sight; it is similar to when a child (or a skeezer of like mentality) sees a candy bar and all he wants is a candy bar more than anything in the world and, a lot more than he did before he saw a candy bar...I Am Ripped Off For 5 DollarsI had drifted in the general direction of Canal Street after having made the 31 dollars by 9 p.m.I checked the lottery number and grabbed a beer at The Unique Boutique, which now has its liquor license reinstated after a 90 day suspension (it was suspended because they were only charging a dollar per beer; that was not enough, for some reason).I decided to get a 5 dollar sack of weed and went to that part of town where some young kids whom I had never dealt with before ripped me off for the 5 dollars.I was pretty sure that they were friends of the young kid whom I usually deal with. That kid probably had put them up to it. He may have needed a bit more money to re-up his inventory; and didn't want to besmirch his brand by ripping me off in person. He has a franchise to think about.HindsightI say all this in hindsight, because the following afternoon, I encountered the guy whom I usually deal with; who asked me if I was "straight," to which I hesitatingly replied that I had been ripped off for 5 bucks the past evening and so I was being careful.He immediately responded by urging me to take a walk with him, around the corner.He didn't ask me to describe the young guy (with his girlfriend) who had walked off with my money; making me further believe that he was privy to it.Normally, anyone who sullies the reputation of a fine block such as that one on Canal Street where they pride themselves upon having "New Orleans" quality weed, and where they hence, don't need to rip people off; is run off in quick order.Well, we went around the corner and the young guy, whom I have dealt with frequently, sat down on the rim a a huge concrete plant bed.He produced his mother sack and told me to hold my hand out.This meant that he was going to "bless" me with an amount larger than the pre-packaged 5 dollar sacks which "everybody else" gets. This further fueled my speculation that he had been in on the rip off. It seemed like he was making up for it, to a degree.

I had forgiven the two thieves (and my sins in turn are forgiven) and I harbored no malice toward the young guy; especially after he blessed me with a good handful of buds; but: -"Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord."

No sooner had the guy handed me the bud; and I had dropped the 5 dollars nonchalantly at my feet (so that no "exchange" would be made for the benefit of cameras) when he hollered "Oh, s**t!!" and jumped up.There, right where he had been sitting swarmed about 27,540 ants.As I watched him frantically splapping his own butt, attempting to swat them like mosquitoes (I would have rather tried to brush them off) I couldn't help thinking "Bad boy for ripping off Danie!" He wasn't even thinking about the 5 dollars still on the sidewalk as he dipped into a little stairwell, a bit more secluded, from out of which issued forth the sounds of him spanking his own bare butt.Bad boy!

1 comment:

Haha another interesting skeezy day .... You know, it's so cheap to just get a room out there, I wonder why you persist to live in the street, unless it's how you prefer to live. I've have to do a ton of research before I decided to move out there if I ever did, but the bit of high-tech work I have only pays $200 a week and often not that because the guy's so broke he can't pay me, and rents are super high. If I ever got where I'm kickin' ass on the cornet, I'd certainly consider at least taking a vacation there. Since I don't need cigarettes or weed, I could easily afford a place.